‘Halt FYJC e-admissions in poor-network rural areas’ | Mumbai News
Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Junior College Teachers’ Federation has requested the govt to halt the rollout of the online admission process in rural areas, focusing on low network in tribal belts and hilly hamlets.Meanwhile, the state’s directorate of education released a fresh timetable for centralised Class 11 or first-year junior college (FJYC) admissions after the website faced technical glitches Wednesday (see box).In a letter to the chief minister, both deputy chief ministers and the education minister, the federation painted a stark picture: Network ‘dead zones’, students without smartphones, and queues outside cyber cafes.“This system may work in Mumbai. But in Melghat or Gadchiroli, students don’t even own a mobile phone, let alone navigate a web portal,” said a senior teacher from the federation.Their letter outlines how most rural areas still suffer from patchy or non-existent internet connectivity, making it nearly impossible for students to access online portals. Even basic access to smartphones remains a dream — especially for families in tribal and mountainous regions, many of whom cannot afford phones with data services.“Ironically, while urban centres compete for a limited number of college seats, rural colleges often have more vacancies than applicants. Yet, the online system makes it harder, not easier, for these students to enroll. Neither students, parents, nor educational institutions have requested such a shift. What’s more, digital literacy is still low —many are unfamiliar with the procedures, the technology, or even the language of online forms,” said the letter.The federation pointed to exploitation under the guise of assistance: cyber cafes and local agents, they claim, have reportedly started charging exorbitant fees to help with applications, taking advantage of digitally unskilled families. Teachers, too, are facing the brunt, said the letter. “Many have foregone their summer breaks to sit through the process” that has apparently yielded little clarity or impact.To add insult to injury, “the first day of the admission cycle saw the govt website crash, fuelling widespread frustration among parents and educators alike”, further eroding trust in digital transition. In a final appeal, the federation requested junior colleges in rural areas be allowed offline admissions.
